Beyond Dreamer's Rock the wind fulfilled Tom's prophecy; it was not a
great wind, but it was a steady one, and, perhaps, because the whisky had
warmed Tom's blood too hastily and hotly, he grew reckless.
"What do you say, fellows, to eating our lunch and then trying sail and
engine together? We could beat the record and surprise folks by our time
in coming and going. The wind's safe; not a puff! What do you say?"
Jerry-Jo was something of a coward, but by the time he had eaten his
lunch and washed it down with more whisky than he had meant to take, he
was ready to handle the sail himself and proceeded to do so.
Little Bear Island was the last one before the entrance to Big Bay, and
when the launch passed that, either the wind had changed, or Tom, at the
engine and Jerry-Jo at the sail, had lost nerve and head, for the boat
became unmanageable. Sandy, keeping to the exact middle of the boat,
called to Jerry-Jo to lower the sail, but Jerry-Jo did not hear, or
failed to clearly comprehend. The little craft shot ahead like an arrow,
but Tom knew that when they went about there would be trouble.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92